MICRO-C-OMICS #4: Weaver Bacteria

There are cotton fabrics, wool fabrics, leather fabrics, synthetic fabrics.

Now we are talking about bacterial fabrics, and already there has been fashion shows and exhibitions

What is a bacterial fabric? It is basically the biofilm, rich in cellulose, growing at the air-liquid interface. Yes, it is alive, full of acetic acid bacteria which produce the cellulose and also has yeast if you are fermenting sweet tea, aka making kombucha, or if you are making apple cider vinegar, beer vinegar, etc.

Once the biofilm is grown, you take it out from the container and dry it. The resulting material, which is a leather-like fabric, (as some call vegan leather) is so strong that you can sew and turn into a jacket or a bag. If you mold it while it is drying you may even make your dress without sewing.

Sounds fun , right? Growing your fabric in your kitchen. Of course, there are still challenges we have to overcome to use biocellulose products in our daily life. So, it is still an ongoing research area despite the fashion shows taking place.

(PS: Biocellulose is also used for medical and industrial purposes, a story that deserves a separate entry, I cut it short for the cartoon texts.)

#cartoon #biofabric #biobasedmaterial #biofilm #artscience #art #kombuchadress #microcomics